I am on the fence about this deal and I am hoping you can help me make a decision.

I’ve never been a Sam’s Club member, but I used to shop there several years ago with one of my college roommates who was a member. The idea of buying in bulk for an apartment full of guys was appealing back then. I remember some items having decent prices, but not all items were priced better than what I could find at Walmart or Target.

I am not sure that I would get the value out of a Sam’s Club membership at this stage in my life. If I need large quantities of food for a family party or get together with friends, I usually shop at GFS Marketplace.

I kind of have a hang-up with having to pay to shop somewhere. Is this a valid concern, or is the $40 for a membership worth it?

I would love to hear what Sam’s Club members and non-members think of this deal. Please leave a comment and let me know if you think it is worth $40 for a membership at Sam’s!

If you subscribe to the LivingSocial email list, you may have seen the offer for a VIP package at Southridge on Black Friday. For $10 (regular price – $20), you are guaranteed a close parking spot at Southridge on Black Friday. VIPs also receive access to a VIP lounge. This offer is valid through midnight tonight.

Is paying for these perks worth it?

VIP Parking

VIPs will receive all day in and out access to a reserved parking area near the southeast entrance to the mall. At first glance, the thought of having to pay to park at Southridge seems ridiculous. On the other hand, finding a parking spot at a major mall like Southridge on Black Friday can be highly aggravating. If easy in and out access to the VIP parking area eliminates this stress, perhaps it might be worth it.

VIP Lounge

Also included in the VIP Package is access to the VIP lounge. The VIP lounge will offer shoppers repose from the Black Friday insanity by offering refreshments and a place to relax throughout the day. The purchase of the VIP package allows for two people to enter the VIP lounge throughout the day.

Deal or No Deal?

My verdict: No Deal. I prefer to save my $10 to spend in the stores.

If being a VIP got me early access to stores, or a pass to the front of the line, then I would certainly be interested. Although a VIP parking space sounds appealing, I usually get to the stores early enough to find a decent place to park.

For me, Black Friday is all about getting in and out of the stores I am targeting as quickly as possible. Once I am done at a store, I am on to the next store. There is no time to relax and enjoy refreshments. Therefore, the VIP lounge doesn’t offer me much value on Black Friday.

The Brewers have secured home field advantage for the National League Division Series. This means they’ll be playing Games 1 and 2 at Miller Park on Saturday and Sunday.

Currently thousands of tickets for each game are available on StubHub, ranging from roughly $50 for a Terrace Reserved seat to $1,000 for a Club Infield Box seat. (It’s unlikely the Club Infield Box seats will sell for that much since there are Club Infield Box seats available for less than $200.) The asking price for the majority of tickets is under $200.

Are Brewers playoff tickets a deal or not?

Is spending $50 on a Brewers ticket worth it? We polled our Facebook followers to get their thoughts. Of course, there were a few who thought it was too much money, but some admitted they weren’t big baseball fans or they are too frugal to even buy tickets during the regular season.

One of our readers, Nick C., had a different take on the pricing. He said:

…$45 to $55 for a playoff ticket doesn’t seem that crazy at all to me. I expected them to be going for WAY more than that.

Several agreed with Nick, including Farrah F. who pointed out:

I’d compare these prices with concert tickets – pricey, but not something you do every day.

Jennifer from Green Bay Consumer chimed in to point out that $50 is a steal compared to Packers playoff tickets (or even regular season tickets).

Considering that the Brewers have made it to the Postseason four times in the last 30 years (1981, 1982, 2008, and 2011) our take is that the tickets are expensive, but if you’re a big baseball or Brewers fan, there is a lot of value to experiencing this type of an event.